What's in a Name: Money

Goodbye Delta Center. Hello, Energy Solutions Arena. The NBA's Utah Jazz has sold naming rights to its Salt Lake City home to Energy Solutions, a leader in nuclear-waste disposal, for unspecified millions. The move has spurred fans to suggest nicknames like the Glow Dome and the Melta Center, proof that the lucrative name game can be unpredictable. Ballparks don't always get a pretty moniker--and companies don't always get what they paid for.

SECONDARY RIGHTS Today, even high school facilities get branded. When Vernon Hills High near Chicago needed a new stadium, a local paintmaker donated $100,000. Teams now play at the...